A very merry, romantic Christmas Penelope!
by Winkey02
Summary: Luke learns about the so called "secret Santa" game, his team will be doing. And he wants, no matter how, to be Penelope s secrete Santa, because in his head he already has a very precise plan of how he would like to surprise her.
1. Secret Santa

**My other stories are saved on my computer. This one I am writing on my phone, in my breaks at work, so that's why I put this one up and not some of my others. It will be a short Christmas Story, I think about 2 or 3 chapters, 4 tops. But I have some other ideas in my mind. So there will be plenty of short stories or one shots from my breaks at work. Tomorrow I will update "Dead Minds". Yay!  
Enjoy this little one, I hope you all like the beginning.**

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 _Wouldn't life be worth the living, Wouldn't dreams be coming true, If we kept the Christmas spirit, All the whole year through?_ ~Author Unknown

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Luke had a crush on Penelope since the first day he met her in the elevator. That memory brought a smile on his face.

"Why are you smiling so soon in the morning?" JJ asked him, standing now in front of his desk with a fresh coup of coffee in her hand.

"Oh, nothing. Just thought about a memory." Luke answered her, feeling a little bit caught. If he was honest with himself, that crush for Penelope turned into something much deeper in the last month.

"Care to share the memory, so I have something to smile too?" JJ asked him, only being a little bit nosy. Luke was not the kind of man who easily smiled. And almost every time he did, somehow Penelope, their wonderful technical analyst, was involved one way or the other. Every other member of their team saw that too, it was not only JJ. Only Penelope was oblivious to that. And well, Luke had also no idea that his colleagues had figured him out, at least on that matter.

"Ugh, I'd rather not. It's kinda personally." Luke answered her with a little smile.

JJ was now in the mood to tease him a bit.

"Mhm, I guess you were just thinking about our special, blonde and beautiful technical analyst. Right?"

"Uhm, what? What are you suggesting?" Luke asked, trying to sound like he had no idea what JJ was talking about. Cursing silently at himself that she obviously must have figured him out, despite his normally, good working no showing any feelings to someone.

"Nothing, never mind." JJ said with a big smile on her face. "Who would you rather draw in our secret Santa game?"

"Our what?" Luke asked confused, glad that JJ changed the subject.

"You never heard of the secret Santa game?" JJ asked totally confused.

* * *

"Uhh, no I don't think so. Time to explain? Since it seems like I am forced to participate?" Luke was not a big fan of Christmas and he never was. He certainly was sure about that nothing could ever change that.

"You really seem to be a Christmas grunge if you never have heard of it. When Penelope hears that, she will try to change that, that I can promise you. Even she doesn't celebrate Christmas herself." JJ paused for a moment.

When Luke heard that, he would have never guessed that out of all people that it could be Penelope who didn't celebrate Christmas. The woman who was all inside and outside about love, friendship, presents and making other people happy. She was not liking Christmas? Luke made a note to himself, to find out the reason why Penelope didn't celebrate the most loved and important festival in the year.

"Nevertheless, let me explain the secret Santa game to you. All of our names will be written down on small paper pieces. They will be thrown into a bowl and everyone of us will pull out one name, not telling anyone else what name he has drawn. The name of the person you pulled out, that person you will have to buy a gift or give something handmade. Nothing fancy, just something you'd think the person would be joyful about." JJ explained, watching Luke's face turning from annoyance to thoughtful.

When he didn't comment on her explanation, she wondered where his mind had wandered off.

"So, what do you think about it?" JJ asked him after she waited a little while longer for an response.

"Mhm? Oh, it sounds... nice?! Sweet?! Everyone of us will participate?" Luke's mind was spinning around with plans, if he just could draw Penelope's name.

"Yes, everyone of the team. Emily has already set up the bowl with the names, as soon as she is finished with her phone call I am on my way to draw a name. For whom would you like to be a secret Santa for?" JJ asked, being nosy again, wondering why Luke seemed so absent all of a sudden.

"Sorry JJ. I just remembered that I need to discuss a report with Prentiss. Excuse me." Luke said, while walking away, towards Emily's office, leaving a wondering JJ behind.

* * *

Luke was in front of Emily's office, surprised at himself for what he was about to do. As he was standing in front of the door, he could hear Prentiss saying goodbye on the phone. So he knocked and waited for her permission to enter.

"Luke, what can I do for you?" Emily asked him, sitting on her chair behind her desk.

Luke could see two bowls on the right side of Emily's desk. Both had paper pieces in it, one of them, he guesses, must be the one for the secret Santa game. There was no way he could figure out on which paper Penelope's name would be written, when he had no idea why there were standing two bowls.

He realized that he was starring at them and that Emily was waiting for his response. He looked at her and he could see that she already had raised her eyebrows up at him, wondering why he just stood there.

"Uh, Emily... I have a... uhm... a favor to ask." Luke stumbled in an uneasy voice.

" Sure, what is it?" Emily asked him with concern, not having seen him that nervous ever before.

"Uh, it's something unusual... and it must stay between the two of us." Luke was now really feeling uncomfortable.

"Of course Luke." Emily was now anxious to know what that was all about.

"JJ, uh, just told me about the secret Santa game." Luke stopped talking, trying to figure out how he should tell her, so that it would not sound too suspicious.

He didn't find a solution, and after Emily said, that he should continue, already smiling up at him a bit, he decided just to spit the words out.

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"I wondered if I could choose... the name of the person to whom I will need to give a gift?" Luke could feel his face getting warm.

"You know, it is called secret Santa for a reason, yes?" Emily now really enjoyed this conversation, but hiding her grin.

"Uh, yes, I figured as much. That's why I asked you for a favor." Luke was feeling more uncomfortable then ever before in his life.

"So if I do you this favor, I want to know which name, so I can remove it out of the bowl and second, I want to know why." Emily had her suspicion which name he wanted to have, but didn't want him off the hook to easy.

Luke was now rubbing his neck, like he always did when he was nervous or uncomfortable. He had no idea that his team had figured, this tick from him, out too.

"I want to gift something special to Penelope. And the reason for it, I just have an idea, I suppose she would like." Luke knew that his reasons were not very solid, but at that moment, he could not think of anything better.

"You could give her that present anyway Luke." Emily was now very close to burst out in laughter.

"Ugh, you know... she's kinda... not that big fan of me, right? So if I would be her secret Santa, she would need to accept my gift, am I right?" Luke really wished this conversation would be over soon. He could see some muscles moving in Emily's face, but he was not sure if she was about to laugh at him or if she was being annoyed with this conversation.

"You are right with accepting the gifts. But you are wrong about thinking that she's not a big fan of you." Emily wanted as much as the rest of the team, that both of them would finally see what everyone else were seeing for months.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Now Luke was confused.

* * *

"Nothing. I ask the questions, since you are asking me for a big favor." Now Emily couldn't hold back her grin as she reached for one of the bowls.

Luke sighted deeply as Emily told him to pick one paper, saying if it would be another name, he could pick only one more time.

Luke unfolded the tiny paper and looked down to read the name. He couldn't believe it, but he really picked the one with Penelope's name on it.

"You need to pick another?" Emily asked with a big grin.

"No, I picked the right one." He answered her, his mind wandering again.

"That must be fate, I suppose. Hopefully you are now making a good move on her." Emily said with tears in her eyes.

Luke was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't quite hear what she just said. "Mhm, yes, thanks Emily. I owe you." And with that he left her office, only noticing slightly that JJ went into the office as soon as he left it.

As JJ walked in, she saw that Emily was laughing so much that she already had tears in her eyes. She was holding her stomach, pointing with one hand for JJ to close the door behind her.

"Em, why are you laughing?" JJ asked Emily, already grinning herself. To hear someone laughing like that, it always was contagious. And Emily just wouldn't stop laughing and giggling like she was a teenage girl again.

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" _Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone."_ ~ Anthony Burgess

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 **Thanks for reading. Have a great day, a good night and a wonderful advent season. :)  
**


	2. The bet

**I am so sorry that I don't update regularly at the moment. Its not that I don't want to, or that I have no ideas to write down, I just have much to do at the moment. Last week I also got a bad migraine, Saturday I was on a Christmas party... This week I need to work more then usually.**

 **I have almost the next chapter for Dead Minds finished, for those of you who are following the story. So hopefully I can update it in a few days.**

 **So for all the followers of this story – the chapter is not that long, but I thought better I update a shorter chapter then none at all.**

 **Thank you all for your reviews, your follows and everything. I cant tell you how happy I am when I see a new review, a new follow or a new favorite.**

 **I hope you enjoy and maybe even smile a bit. :)**

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 _A good time to laugh is any time you can. ~_ Linda Ellerbee

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 _"Em, why are you laughing?" JJ asked Emily, already grinning herself. To hear someone laughing like that, it always was contagious. And Emily just wouldn't stop laughing and giggling like she was a teenage girl again_

It took Emily a few moments until she had calmed down enough to tell JJ what the conversation with Luke was about.  
While Emily told her every detail, JJ started to laugh too.

"But what's with the two bowls?" JJ asked while she was still laughing.

Emily started to laugh all over again, in between she told JJ to unfold the paper pieces from the bowl where Luke had drawn before.  
JJ unfolded the first paper and saw Penelope's name on it. She unfolded the next one and again she saw Penelope's name was written on it. She unfolded the rest of them, while Emily was laughing even harder joined by JJ. Every paper piece in the one bowl had Penelope's name written on it.

The rest of the team heard them laughing and went to Emily's office to find out what the laughter was all about. Except for Luke who was sitting at his desk concentrating on his phone, searching, making plans and reservations.  
Soon everyone was laughing, the door to Emily's office was open. Penelope came out of her lair, stopping in front of Luke's desk.

* * *

"What's with that laughter over there?" Penelope asked Luke pointing a finger to her unit chiefs office.

Luke hadn't noticed that Penelope was standing in front of his desk, too concentrated on his phone, until she started to speak and startled him.

"Huh, what did you just say, Chica?" Luke glanced up at her, smiling. She was wearing a new dress, and she looked beautiful. Of course, in his eyes, she always looked stunning.

Penelope giggled at him, when she saw that she had startled him. "I asked you what's up with all the laughter over there. And why are you sitting here all alone by yourself?"

"No idea why they are laughing." Luke hoped Emily did not tell the others what he had asked her for just minutes ago. "Maybe something about the secret Santa game."

"Oh yes. The secret Santa game. I love it. Why are you not over there?" Penelope clapped her hands when she was reminded of the game.

"I've already got a name." Luke answered her, still smiling.

"You need to tell me who you got. I need to know." Penelope could not hold back her nosiness.

"Peaches, that's a secret. I am not gonna tell you. You will need to wait." Luke told her with a big grin. She was just too sweet when she was being nosy.

"Oh you. Mr. Spoilsport, you are so boring. I promise I will tell no one." Penelope could not stop herself, she wanted to know.

She decided a few months ago that she wanted to be Luke's friend. First she rejected him, because he replaced her hot stuff Derek Morgan. And of course he needed to look hot too, being nice and a gentleman. _So hot. Stop it._ Penelope forced herself to stop thinking such thoughts.

After she got used to him, in a very short time, she still tried to reject him, because she was attracted to him and she knew that he would not notice her in that way. He was a womanizer, or at least he looked like one, and she tried to persuade herself that he really was one, so that she would not fall for him and getting her heart broken.

So she was her usual self towards him, or tried to be, but she just could not flirt with him like with Derek, or Matt or any other guy. If she would flirt with him, for her it would be serious, and if he would flirt back, thinking she was just flirting with him like with everyone else, that would hurt. Now she was nice and friendly. A friend, a colleague.

"I think it would spoil the game, if I would tell you." Luke answering, not knowing where Penelope's thoughts drifted off to.

"Honey Bunny, I will go now over there. If I should be your secret Santa I will find you a gift as reluctant as you are today." Penelope told him as she began walking towards where the others were gathered.

Luke watched her going, a small smile on his face. But soon he concentrated back again on making plans for Penelope's Christmas surprise.

* * *

When Penelope came closer to Emily's open office door she could hear her team making a bet. She couldn't hear what the bet was about because as soon as Matt noticed her approach he made a hand signal to the others, not seen by Penelope. When she joined them in the office everyone stopped laughing and talking but smiled at her.

Strange, she thought to herself.

"My lovely team, what is the bet about and what's with all the happy faces and laughter?" Penelope asked them in a sweet voice.

There was a moment of silence as the team looked at each other, while trying to figure out what to tell her. Since the bet and the laughter was about Penelope and Luke they couldn't tell her the truth.

"We, ugh, talked about Luke." JJ said finally, noticing that Luke was not in here with them.

"Oh, I can see why you all laughed then. But what's the bet about?" Penelope wanted to know. A bet about Luke, she wanted to join in of course.

JJ glanced at the others, raising her eyebrows at Emily.

"Uhm, we found out that Luke is an absolutely Christmas Grinch. He, uhm, never heard of the secret Santa game before." Emily started to speak, trying to think of something the bet could be about.

"So we are betting if he is going to buy any gift or something that fits the Christmas spirit. And if you, kitten, will be able to change the way he feels about Christmas." Rossi joined the conversation.

* * *

"Well, that's a lame bet. Of course I will be able to do that. No one can not get into the Christmas spirit with me around. I will bet 10$ that before we start our holiday, he will love Christmas and that he will gift a very Christmasy gift." Even if the bet was really lame, Penelope thought, she would still try to win it.

She was not celebrating Christmas herself, because it reminded her too much about her dead parents and off her brothers she haven't seen in years. Every year JJ, Derek, Rossi and others too invited her to their Christmas party but she always declined. That holiday was about love and family. And even if her team was her family, and she knew she would be welcome by any of them, not being an intruder, she just couldn't bring herself to join any of them.

"I think that will be a hard task. Luke said he never liked Christmas. I bet 10$ that he will not change." JJ said.

"Well, he lost his mother very soon, when he was just a child. And his father, as loving as he was, was a military man, not much of a sentimental. Only Luke's grandmother tried to make a nice Christmas Eve for him. But every two years she visits family back in South America, so it's understandable if Luke isn't that much of a fan. This year his grandmother is away, so since he got no family left besides her, he will be alone with Roxy. I tried to invite him, but he declined." Matt joined the conversation, making also his bet with 10$.

The others were making their bet too, luckily Penelope was too deep in her thoughts since the moment she heard Matt's words about Luke's history, that she didn't wonder about why they were still betting when they already had done that before she joined them.

* * *

The next day Penelope came fully packed into the office. Going straight to Luke's desk. He wasn't yet there as she opened her bags and started to decorate it. When Luke came a few minutes later with a cup of coffee in his hands he thought that this desk, where Penelope was standing in front off, grinning wildly, could clearly not belong to him. He was just away for not even ten minutes.

"Hey Mr. Grinch. Good Morning. I heard you hated Christmas. So I decided to change that. No one should hate Christmas, especially not a good, sweet guy like you." Penelope was rambling a bit, cursing at herself about that and the last words she had said.

He always made her nervous, that she would start to ramble. That's why she teased him, so that he would hopefully not notice that his presence was different for her then with anyone else. He made her heart beat faster, her belly fluttering and when she looked at him a heat started to rise throughout her entire body.

"So you admit that I am a good guy, finally." Luke gave her his biggest goofy smile. "I wish you a good morning too and it's not that I hate Christmas it's more that I don't really care about it." Inside he was hoping that this year's would change. Celebrating Christmas with a bright, genuine woman like her, would be something real special. But only if his plans would work out.

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 _Isn't it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for — I don't know what exactly, but it's something that you don't mind so much not having at other times. ~_ Kate L. Bosher

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 **I am not making a promise that I will update this story when exactly, only that I will. Before Christmas. ;)**

 **Have a good day, a good night and a good week. 3**


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